CLOUD GAMING - when will it start to rain?

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Tue, 01/14/2014 - 1:03am — Mark Vergeer

8-bit gamingSony just introduced their streaming games service. Why buy a PS4 if you can stream those games to a ps3?

What about the pricing model?

Games aren't movies! Netflix works because of the subscription model and the low price. In the short term Sony may be able to squeeze some money out of old games if they use a sensible subscription model pricing. But it won't work for new games as they need to earn money and cover developing costs. On the long term they will run into issues. They will have to up the price.

Charging full price for a streamed / rented / bought streamed game won't work for me, my sense of ownership and being used to all the degrees of freedom that come with paying more for something you actually OWN and get to do with as I please even years down the line after the companies stopped supporting, prevents that. I guess too much of a sense of the difference between owning and renting. Okay leasing is a weird thing. Is this a generation X thing?

The sheer hedonistic might flock to these things though. Or people who have not learned the value of money (yet).

Our cultural heritage and story telling has been abducted and kidnapped and locked away behind DRM and proprietary access. It is not meant to last - only if economically viable and worthwhile to the ones owning the rights.

Perhaps there will be a time when simply telling a person about a story or game may be a breach of copyright! Pay before you play...and do it quickly before the plug is pulled. If you are lucky we will serve the same thing again but you gotto pay to play! Again.... Again... And again...

What are your thoughts about cloud gaming? Good or bad or something in between? In the here and now it can be a comfortable service provided it works without lag etc. But what about the long term? Should we care about the long term? How do we make and record our history? It's not only games I am talking about, all media seems to conform to this cloud way of doing things...

Comments

Considering the avalanche of games and systems I'm buried under in my advanced age of 41, part of me welcomes the switch to all digital cloud "ownership." To me, gaming COULD work with a Netflix model, paying a monthly fee for access to whatever and whenever I want. The issue is, digital gaming models are even more restrictive than the Netflix model, meaning while there is always a limited selection on Netflix, most of the digital gaming platforms have an even more restricted ecosystem. Those are often limited to a handful of platforms and manufacturers.

I for one welcome game streaming services from the likes of Sony, but naturally it will only be restricted (for the far forseeable future) to stuff that only appeared on Sony's platforms. I'm probably OK for paying each month for one, two or possibly even three such services, but after a point, it no longer becomes cost effective. That to me is the larger problem. I've long since become OK with digital ownership. I'm much happier with the speed and convenience in my adult life over any concerns over what I'm leasing as it were actually going away. If it did go away, it's not like there are not thousands of other games to take their place.

I realize I'm always the optimist with this stuff, but I really don't think it's all doom and gloom. At the very least there are positive steps being taken for digital preservation, which is something that was haphazard at best in the past.

I hate download content.
There is no physical media and I feel ultimately cheated out of my purchase.
Let’s take Pacman CE for example.
I fully intend to get an X-box 260 just to play that title.
Don’t have a 360 yet waiting for a cheap one as not many games appeal to me and make the cost prohibitive.
When I do get one will the title be available?
If I had the disk well no problem enough said.
Rites and contacts go away all too often and when the contract is up well so is the game.
Now taking that into consideration I am whoa fully fearful to purchase anything that needs a connection to validate.
I am often in places without internet connection and that limits my choices.
I also tried to purchase a title from Steam for the first time, due to poor connections I couldn’t even make the purchase and download the game.

Am I a poor example of the digital consumer probably, I have purchased 3DS games and enjoy not having to carry the cartridge around.
But like you said in 20 years you have a mountain of items.
I bet you display them and enjoy it for all the nostalgia and fun you had.
Picture the bleak future.
My collection is now screen shots / jpgs Wow that's awesome dude.
Load it up, sorry the server is down so like the old days you will have to rely on a cracked version to play games that you purchased.
Or not play them at all.
What a pity.